MAKE A WISH
by Pundit
Summary: When Naruto discovers Sasuke is ditching Sakura's birthday party, even though he himself was not invited, the blonde little ninja is pissed. (SasuNaru...eventually)
1. Chapter 1: Not Invited

Warning: 1) This will DEFINITELY be Yaoi!!! (Although not for the first couple  
chapters) That is Yaoi as in shonen-ai. Boy love, etc. If  
you get squeamish, offended or nauseated I recommend you find  
something else to  
read.  
2) This story is going to be LONG. As in L-O-N-G ass long.  
3) Not beta'd. Read at your own peril.  
  
Pairings: Sasuke x Naruto...maybe others, I dunno yet.  
  
Note: I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I just like to read  
Naruto fanfiction so I thought I should contribute something...  
and yeah, this WILL be SasuNaru... Eventually...I take a while  
to get there, but I get there. Trust me.  
  
Disclaimer: Naruto= not mine. Thanks for the reminder.  
  
------------------------------------- *M*A*K*E* A *W*I*S*H* ---------------- --------------  
  
Naruto sat beneath the shade of the towering oaks that lined the genin training ground, hunched over and oblivious to everything except the small box that he clutched in his hands.  
  
"Stay down, dammit!" he muttered between clenched teeth as he smashed down yet another rebellious corner of the brightly colored paper with a calloused thumb. The blonde glared at the cheery pattern printed onto the paper, its rainbows and stars that seemed so friendly in the store now clearly mocking him. He huffed indignantly, blowing a few golden strands of hair out from his eyes. Even inanimate objects were underestimating his strength now and he was seriously tempted to just reinforce the tape with charka and be done with it.  
  
Except that seemed like cheating.  
  
Naruto swore incoherently under his breath. He'd been warring with the damn wrapping paper since that morning and his patience was wearing thin.  
  
If only he hadn't been losing...  
  
The blonde sucked in his breath as he removed his thumb and counted to ten. Nothing happened. He exhaled in relief, a broad smile already forming on his face. But before he could even let out a whoop of victory another corner sprung into the air, exposing the plain surface beneath.  
  
Naruto blinked. Once, twice, three times...  
  
"Teme!" he roared in frustration, hurling the box at a nearby tree. It made a dull, satisfying 'thunk' as it crashed against the wood. Panting heavily from his efforts, the blonde glared at the parcel a moment before crossing his arms in self-righteous approval. But his face fell, his moment of triumph cut short, as he remembered the gift inside.  
  
"Kuso!" he shouted, scrambling frantically towards the box. He scooped the item into his hands, inspecting it carefully for any outward signs of damage. He couldn't decide whether he was relieved or irritated when he found none.  
  
"What are you doing here, dead last?" a condescending, though mildly amused voice distracted the blonde from his inspection. Naruto's head snapped up, his cerulean eyes narrowing at the sight of Uchiha Sasuke standing not ten feet away, a patronizing smirk smeared across his face.  
  
"What does it look like, asshole?" Naruto replied acidly. He was going to leave it at that but thought better of it. The smart ass would probably find a way to make fun of him if he did. "I'm wrapping Sakura-chan's present."  
  
"Oh, is that what you call it?" the genius ninja asked, looking down at the blonde, his hands shoved deep inside his pockets. "I thought you were beating the crap out of it."  
  
Naruto stuck out his tongue in reply as he plopped down beneath another tree and began his attack on the newest insurrection. He hunched over the box yet again, determined to ignore the Bastard's presence.  
  
"You better hurry up, dobe," Sasuke chided, still standing beneath the trees. Naruto didn't lift his head but he could *hear* the smirk in his teammate's voice. "Sakura's party started twenty minutes ago."  
  
"Ah, yeah. I know," he replied casually, eyes still fixed on the present as he focus diligently on wrapping the object in his lap, but for an instant his fingers fumbled and paused in their task. "I wasn't invited."  
  
Sasuke stared. Not invited? How could Naruto not be invited? He was Sakura's teammate. Dead Last must be confused again. After all, if it weren't for him Sakura wouldn't even be *having* a birthday party; Sakura would be dead. The dobe had to be confused. But... people did hate him for some reason. Especially the adults. Maybe it was possib-  
  
"I don't even like birthday parties, anyways," Naruto said, interrupting Sasuke's thoughts when the silence finally became unbearable. "You have to wear those stupid hats, and play those stupid games, and plus you have to be so *polite*," he made a face. "It's really not that fun."  
  
Not that the blonde would really *know*. Since technically he'd never actually *been* to a birthday party before. But seriously, how fun could they be? Playing pin-the-mask-on-the-ninja had to get old pretty fast. Right? The blonde took a deep, calming breath as he smoothed out the wrinkles on the front of the box. It was only marginally successful. He refused to cry. Especially in front of Sasuke. This was a horrible day. First the damn present wouldn't let itself be wrapped and now Naruto couldn't even *mope* in peace! Why did Sasuke have to be *there* of all places anyway? After all, Sasuke had *definitely* been invited to the party; he should be there, not at the training grounds bothering Naruto.  
  
The blonde's head snapped up.  
  
"Why aren't you at Sakura's?" he asked, genuine confusion etched across his features.  
  
The raven haired ninja stiffened, his eyes flickering slightly as they filled with a shadow of emotion. And for a moment an expression that was neither coolly indifferent nor smugly superior crossed his face. It almost looked... it almost looked... It almost looked like he stubbed his toe. And then it was gone again, replaced by the stoic, 'I'm-so-great' expression he usually wore.  
  
Frankly, Naruto didn't know what the hell to make of it.  
  
"I don't like birthday parties," Sasuke explained simply as he strode past the blonde and onto the training ground.  
  
Naruto clenched his fist as he watched his rival walk by him and into the clearing. How could the teme be so selfish?! Sure he didn't want Sasuke alone with his beloved Sakura-chan without him there. It wasn't much of a secret that the pink haired ninja -for reasons that defied all human logic- had a massive crush on him. If Pretty Boy didn't show, Sakura was sure to disappointed. No one should be sad on their birthday. Especially not Sakura- chan. The blonde seethed. Didn't Sasuke realize how great he had it? He had the looks, the skills, the adoration.... And he was hurting Sakura-chan with it -on her *birthday* of all days- and he couldn't care less.  
  
That Bastard.  
  
"Sasuke, you Bastard!" Naruto screamed as he bolted off the ground, his hands fisted at his side and his face flushed in rage. "How could you do this to Sakura-chan?!?!" he demanded. The raven haired ninja turned to look at Naruto, his face as calm and uncaring as always. That indifferent stare pushed the blonde over the edge.  
  
Sasuke barely had time to react as a hurtling blonde mass speed towards him. He dodged the attack, escaping with only a minor hit to the arm. Naruto, however, was knocked to the ground by a well placed roundhouse. Sasuke smirked slightly as his opponent sat up from his position, sprawled on the ground. A small trail of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.  
  
"You selfish bastard," the blonde muttered as he wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve. He glared up at the raven haired ninja, his eyes hot with anger and his voice quivering from the force of some unnamed emotion. "You could at least have gotten her something! Anything!"  
  
Naruto looked down and refused to lift his gaze from the ground as got to his feet and retrieved the present (now slightly battered, but not too much worse for ware) from the clearing floor behind Sasuke.  
  
The raven haired boy said nothing, his face a mask of indifference, as he watched his teammate head towards the edge of the training grounds.  
  
"She does it for you." Naruto said without turning around to face his rival. His voice was calmer now, but there was still an extra strain behind it. "Every year. She's always gotten you something. Always..."  
  
Sasuke shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as he watched the blonde retreat into the shadows of the forest, presumably back to Kohona. He frowned as he walked towards the center of the training grounds, and pulled out a kunta. He threw a few at the training posts for a few minutes, trying to erase Naruto's anger from his memory. He was determined to get some practice done, but the accusation in those cerulean blue eyes refused to be forgotten.  
  
"Kuso," Sasuke muttered bitterly as he gathered up his belongings and followed after the blonde moron.  
  
Damn that idiot! He hated it when Naruto made sense. It was just....wrong somehow.  
  
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My first Naruto fan-fic. I know it's crap and totally OC but what ever. Please review, I haven't actually read the whole series and I've never seen the anime. Oddly enough, I've read the first 2 volumes and the last 8. and not in order either. So I may be ~slightly~ confused. Anyway, if you think it's crap, let me know. So I can bludgeon you with a blunt object... just kidding!! (erm...mostly) ^_^  
  
-Jiro 


	2. Chapter 2: The Gift

Warning: 1) This will DEFINITELY be Yaoi!!! (Although not for the first couple  
  
chapters) That is Yaoi as in shonen-ai. Boy love, etc. If  
  
you get squeamish, offended or nauseated I recommend you find  
  
something else to read.  
  
2) This story is going to be LONG. As in L-O-N-G ass long.  
  
3) Not beta'd. Read at your own peril.  
  
4) Fluff and OOCness galor! Huzah!  
  
Pairings: SasuNaru for now.  
  
Note: I saw all the anime episodes the other day, and now I have a new found obsession... erm, *affection* for Gaara and Shikamaru. Oh, and for the record: I like Sakura. A lot. I just don't like her for Sasuke or Naruto. Now, Sakura and Rock Lee on the other hand...  
  
Secondary Note: I love Peanut Butter Chewy Granola bars!!!! Mmmmmm.... peanut butter :::drools:::  
  
--KEY--  
  
Flashback = ~blah~  
  
Dialogue = "blah"  
  
Thoughts = //blah//  
  
Emphasis = *blah*  
  
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. How Troublesome ^_^  
  
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*M*A*K*E* A *W*I*S*H*  
  
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Chapter 2: The Gift  
  
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Sasuke sat, perched high in the branches of the Sycamore tree that stood across the street from Haruno Sakura's house. From his vantage point the young ninja couldn't see into the back yard, but the noise from the party spilled over the wooden fence and into the street nonetheless. The laughter and music that filled the air only served to make the boy that much more aware of the silence that enveloped him as he fiddled with the plain white box that he held in his hands, it's only decoration a simple pink ribbon tied neatly in a bow.  
  
Sasuke wasn't, he had discovered, any better at wrapping presents than the dobe. He *did*, however, know when to cut his losses and by his second attempt he had decided to improvise. After all, he didn't want to encourage Sakura's annoying crush on him any more than he was already. Sure he was only giving her chocolates (Coconut creams, her favorite) but knowing his pink haired teammate, she would act like he had given her his left lung. And probably a kidney too. For a moment, the last member of the proud Uchiha clan was afraid. Who knew what Sakura would do if he gave her even the *tiniest* bit of acknowledgement? He shuttered at the thought. But...  
  
~ "You selfish bastard! You could at least have gotten her something! Anything!" ~  
  
//Damn Naruto// Sasuke seethed. He couldn't believe the dobe had actually guilted him into buying Sakura a present. It was wrong to get her hopes up, not to mention irritating as hell. Which was actually the reason why Sasuke had decided not to come to the party in the first place... or so he kept telling himself.  
  
Didn't that moron have a crush on her anyway? The idiot was actually encouraging her to like Sasuke more. And for what? She wouldn't know why Sasuke had given her the gift. She would just assume he was being 'sweet' and continue ignoring Naruto, probably even more than she already did. It didn't make any sense. Why would he want to make Sakura happy if it would make him sad?  
  
A small smile tugged at Sasuke's pale lips. Because Naruto cared for Sakura. And he was an idiot. Not that Sasuke didn't care too, but...  
  
"Mommy, Daddy! Lookit!" the boisterous voice of a little girl swelled over the noise of the crowd as she cried excitedly for her parent's attention, knocking the sullen ninja from his reverie. Sasuke clenched his fist, nearly crushing the gift in his hand.  
  
Damn Naruto!  
  
This was all his fault! Sasuke hated birthday parties. He hated holidays. He hated... Well, at the moment Sasuke hated everything. He took a deep breath. He would just have to give Sakura her gift as soon as possible and then leave before she could make him join the 'fun'. That was all.  
  
Then he would go find Naruto, and kick his ass.  
  
A loud 'thump' followed closely by a yelp distracted the genin from his murderous thoughts.  
  
"Kuso!" a blob of shaggy blonde hair in an orange jumpsuit cursed as it clutched its foot.  
  
Sasuke smirked in sadistic satisfaction as he watched the very object of his ire hopping up and down on one leg directly below him. The blonde was quite clearly in pain.  
  
//Idiot probably stubbed his toe on the tree roots// the raven haired ninja thought dryly to himself.  
  
"Stupid tree roots!" Naruto hissed when the pain had finally subsided. He kicked the offending root vengefully, his cheeks puffed out in a petulant pout. Then he did it again, just for good measure.  
  
It was one too many times.  
  
"Owww!! Owww! Owww!" the blonde cried out as he stubbed his toe for the second time in as many minutes. "Dammit!" he growled, glaring at the root hatefully through tear-filled eyes. Up in his tree, Sasuke smirked.  
  
Maybe he would let Naruto kick his own ass. (1)  
  
Another swell of laughter from Sakura's house wrenched both boys from their musings abruptly. "Ah! Right!" the blonde said, his attention focused back to the original task. Sasuke watched curiously as his rival slowly approached the house, his steps hesitant and unsure. The blonde actually seemed *nervous* as he reached the door, his hand pausing a moment before finally ringing the doorbell.  
  
A moment passed. Then two, but no one answered. Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he stared down at his feet and began to turn away. Sasuke's brow knit together, perplexed. He had never known the blonde to give up so easily. The stoic ninja was about to jump from his tree and confront him when the door suddenly opened wide, and Naruto spun around quickly in surprise to face the person at the door. It was Sakura.  
  
"Sasu-" she began excitedly as she burst through the door, stopping herself abruptly at the sight of Naruto standing on her stoop, a foxy grin plastered across his face. For an instant, her face fell in disappointment, but she recovered quickly. "Ah, Naruto!" she amended, forcing an awkward smile. It looked painful.  
  
Fortunately Naruto failed to notice it, or pretended to, as he stared at his long time crush as she stood before him in a beautiful, sheer dress with Sakura blossoms delicately stitched onto the front. The soft, pale pink fabric matched her hair perfectly and accentuated her beauty.  
  
Sakura turned her head and checked behind her. Carefully, so as not to be seen, she stepped out of the house, the door closing with a gentle 'click' at is shut behind her. Sadness and regret shadowed her features as she looked at the loudest member of team seven and smiled softly at him.  
  
"Ano, Naruto," she began hesitantly, looking down at her hands as they fiddled nervously with each other "I don't want to be rude exactly, but wh- "  
  
"Happy Birthday, Sakura-chan!" the hyperactive ninja cut her off, smiling as he thrust a present in her face. Apprehension and dread mingled with curiosity across her features as the pink haired teen looked at the slightly mangled package. She raised an eyebrow skeptically before lifting her gaze to her smiling teammate's face. With a resigned sigh Sakura smiled softly at her friend and carefully took the gift from his hands.  
  
"Thanks, Naruto," she said, smiling wistfully as she looked from Naturo's excited face to the battered box. She didn't understand how giving her a gift could make him so happy when there was a party he wasn't invited to on the other side of the door. Sadness sparkled in her eyes as Sakura remembered the disappointment that used to cross the blonde's face when they were children and he would try, unsuccessfully, to give their classmates a gift for Christmas or a birthday. But no one ever took what he had to give. Ino laughed, Shino walked away, Sasuke ignored him, and even Hinata apologetically declined. As far as she knew, Sakura was the only one who ever actually accepted Naruto's meager presents- despite her parent's orders not to. Maybe that was why the blonde had harbored his crush on her for so long.  
  
"Open it, Sakura-chan! Open it! Open it! Open it!" the genin squealed excitedly, unable to contain himself any longer.  
  
"Ah-- hai," the pink haired ninja replied, an indulgent smile flittering across her face as Naruto began rambling incoherently in eagerness while he waited for her to open the gift.  
  
Sakura bit back a gasp as she removed the top of the box, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the gift inside. Her hand hovered uncertainly a moment before she tentatively lifted a beautiful, sterling silver bracelet out of the box. It was made of three, delicate silver chains that were connected by several intricate charms shaped like sakura blossoms. The petals were stained a pale pink that contrasted starkly with the pure silver of the chains but matched the dress she wore exactly. The bracelet shimmered in the sunlight as she examined it breathlessly, her pleasure evident on her face. She would never know how long it had taken Naruto to save enough money to buy it for her.  
  
"You like it?" The blonde beamed, obviously knowing the answer.  
  
"I-- I love it," she gasped, staring breathlessly at the bracelet as it sparkled in her hand. After a moment, she stole a glance at her teammate and friend, not really knowing what to say as a new surge of guilt washed over her as she looked at him, grinning up at her from the bottom of the stairs. He was so pleased she liked the bracelet he didn't even seem to notice the noise from the party that trickled under the door and out onto the stoop. But Sakura did and she desperately wanted to invite him in.  
  
Except she had desperately wanted to invite him to the party in the first place, but her mother adamantly refused to allow "that boy" anywhere near her house. And the situation hadn't changed, no matter how sweet Naruto was acting. With a shudder Sakura remembered how much fighting it had taken just to get her parents to agree to let her remain on the same *team* with the blonde troublemaker a year ago. They had fought for hours, Sakura had begged and pleaded. Not to stay with Naruto of course, but with Sasuke. But that hardly mattered anymore and it was still a source of friction between Sakura and her parents sometimes.  
  
She couldn't really understand it, the animosity so many of the villagers seemed to feel for Naruto. Sure, he was a prankster and a nuisance, but he was generally harmless. When they were younger she'd always just assumed he must have deserved the angry glares and spiteful words everyone sent his way. Though even at the academy she could never just ignore the blonde completely. But it was different now. Naruto deserved more than just the small scraps of attention she used to throw his way. He was her teammate. And, despite how much she wanted to deny it, he was her friend too.  
  
"Gomen," Sakura whispered, suddenly too ashamed to look the blonde in the eye. "I wanted to inv-"  
  
"It's all right, Sakura-chan!" The blonde reassured her, cutting off the apology he knew she was about to give with a smile "I don't like parties much anyway."  
  
Sakura looked at him skeptically, though hoping he was telling the truth.  
  
"Ah, well I got to go! Have fun Sakura-chan! And happy birthday!" the blue eyed ninja said, as he turned and began to walk down the steps, hoping to make a fast escape before his voice could betray him.  
  
"Naruto!" Sakura called after him suddenly. The blonde stopped at the sound of his name, slightly confused as he turned around. He was about to ask what she wanted, but the words caught in his throat as Sakura abruptly pulled him into a quick and gentle embrace. "Thanks" she whispered as she pulled away and ran back inside the house. She spared him a hurried wave good-bye before she closed the door.  
  
Sasuke watched as Naruto stood there, frozen in shock before he too waved good-bye at the closed door and jogged across the street, lowering his forehead protector so that it nearly covered his eyes entirely. But even from his seat high in the tree Sasuke could make out the glistening wet streaks that trailed along the blonde's cheeks as he hurried down the sidewalk.  
  
"Kuso," the raven haired ninja swore softly as he stood up on the branch. He looked at the box in his hands and cast a quick glance towards Sakura's house before jumping down to the ground below and following after the blonde.  
  
He could give Sakura her present later.  
  
TBC...  
  
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(1) - A/N: Why break it if it's already broke, eh?  
  
Dammit! I was supposed to end it here and then flash forward a few months. Crap. Oh well... I guess I'll just have to add *another* chapter :::grumbles::: I hope this didn't leave a sickeningly sweet taste in the back of your mouth. I don't want to be responsible for giving anyone's gag reflex a work out. Well, that's the best I can do here. Ja ne!  
  
-Jiro ^_^ 


End file.
